TYLER, Texas – After leading UT Tyler to a top-five national ranking in the program's first season of NCAA Division II competition, head coach Mike Reed announces eight transfers into the program for the upcoming 2021 campaign.
 
Five players join the Patriots from four-year programs, including four from Division I programs, while three players signed from junior colleges.
 
"We are excited that these student-athletes are joining the UT Tyler family this fall with our returners and incoming freshmen," Reed said. "This is a very accomplished group both on the field and in the classroom, and they will bring a lot to our team."
 
ABOUT THE NEW PATRIOTS
 
Audrey Escamilla (Freshman; Utility)
Previous School: Temple College (NJCAA)
Hometown: Weslaco, Texas
 
Athletic Highlights:
Escamilla played in 28 games in the shortened 2020 season at Temple College, batting in the middle of the lineup and leading the team in doubles (12), home runs (4), and RBIs (28) while batting .376 (32-for-85). Prior to Temple, she was the 2019 District 31-6A MVP at Weslaco High School, following all-state second team and 32-6A offensive player of the year recognition as a junior in 2018. She started her prep career as an all-state honorable mention catcher and District 31-6A Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, adding 32-6A defensive player of the year and all-state second team honors as a sophomore.
 
Escamilla: "I chose UT Tyler because I know Coach Reed, Coach Wyly, and Coach Wieligman can help me become the player I have always wanted to be; not just a better player on the field, but a genuinely better person overall."
 
 
Erin Hill (Senior; Pitcher)
Previous School: USC Upstate (NCAA Division I)
Hometown: Maryville, Texas
 
Athletic Highlights:
Hill pitched four years for NCAA Division I USC Upstate, posting a record of 30-17 with a career ERA of 2.06 as she notched 177 strikeouts in 268 innings for the Spartans. She ranks sixth in career saves (4) at USC Upstate, and she graduated from USC Upstate magna cum laude, earning dean's list recognition every semester of her career along with the All-Academic Award. She was the school's Joe Bowman Pinnacle Award Winner in 2020, recognizing her her career achievement on the field and in the classroom at USC Upstate. She collected wins against Tennessee Tech and Duke, and in 2019 she struck out 7 in a complete-game effort against No. 9-ranked LSU. In 2020, she helped lead the Spartans to a 17-7 start before the season ended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, leading the team in starts (9), innings (56.0), shutouts (2), and complete games (4).
 
Hill: "I chose UT Tyler because they instantly made me feel at home and feel like I was part of their family. I'm so thankful they gave me an opportunity to continue playing the game I love."
 
 
Shelby Hughston (Senior; Utility)
Previous School: Kansas (NCAA Division I)
Hometown: Bastrop, Texas
 
Athletic Highlights:
Hughston joins UT Tyler after four years of NCAA Division I playing experience, between two different programs. She played her first two seasons at Lamar before playing the past two years at Kansas. She earned All-Academic Big 12 honors while at Kansas, playing in 55 games over the past two years after starting 113 games in two seasons at Lamar. She was named the team's Most Improved Player and defensive MVP at Lamar, and she started 36 games at catcher and 17 games at shortstop for Kansas in the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
 
Hughston: "I chose UT Tyler because it was the perfect fit for me. The program is successful in both academics and athletics. Being part of a team that gets the job done on and off the field is a team that I want to be on!"
 
 
Shannon Klaus (Senior; Outfield)
Previous School: Lamar (NCAA Division I)
Hometown: Cedar Creek, Texas
 
Athletic Highlights:
Klaus played the past three years at Lamar, earning All-Southland Conference second team honors in 2019 along with Southland Conference All-Academic Team recognition in 2019 (first team) and 2020 (second team). In three years at Lamar, she set the program's single-season (30) and career (41) stolen base record (41) and finished with a career .305 batting average with 112 hits and 60 runs scored. Klaus played her freshman season at Trinity Valley College in 2017, where she batted .409 (61-for-149) with 7 doubles, 6 triples, and 17 stolen bases as she earned Team MVP, All-Region 14 first team, and All-Academic first team honors.
 
Klaus: "I chose UT Tyler because it is the perfect fit for me academically and a great program to join to finish my career! I am super excited for this new journey, from starting in the nursing program in the fall to getting back on the field with my new team!"
 
 
Sarah Koeppen (Sophomore; Infield)
Previous School: Navarro College (NJCAA)
Hometown: Benton, La.
 
Athletic Highlights:
Koeppen played the past two seasons at Navarro College, where she earned All-American third team recognition after batting .444 (68-for-153) with 10 doubles, 18 home runs, and 58 RBIs as a 2019 freshman. She also collected all-region and all-conference first team honors in 2019, and she started the shortened 2020 campaign with a .381 batting average with three home runs and 13 RBIs. She added national all-academic honors in 2019.
 
Koeppen: "My reasons for choosing UT Tyler: for starters, I felt like the program would challenge me to be the best version of myself I can be, not only athletically, but academically as well. Everyone I encountered during my visit was very welcoming and made it easier for me to make UT Tyler my final home in the sports realm. The coaching staff and teammates are one big family that I could see myself being a part of. Deciding to go to UT Tyler was an easy choice!"
 
 
Bayli Simon (Junior; Infield)
Previous School: Louisiana Tech (NCAA Division I)
Hometown: Frierson, La.
 
Athletic Highlights: Simon was a three-year starter at Louisiana Tech, starting all 85 games at shortstop the past two seasons for the Bulldogs. She was a 2019 All-Conference USA second team selection who also earned Conference USA All-Tournament honors, and she was named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll three times. Simon also collected Easton/NFCA Scholar Athlete honors in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, she batted .222 (26-for-117) with 6 doubles, 3 home runs, 17 runs, and 19 RBIs with 7 stolen bases. As a 2019 sophomore, Simon batted .292 (49-for-168) with 13 doubles, 4 home runs, 29 runs, and 29 RBIs with 12 stolen bases. She registered 10 multi-hit games and ranked in C-USA's top-five in doubles. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, she batted .214 (15-for-70) while starting all 24 games for Louisiana Tech.
 
Simon: "I chose UT Tyler because of the great family atmosphere that it brings to everyone. You can definitely feel how involved softball is within the community and has made it feel like a home to me. Coach Reed and Coach Wyly are both great coaches, and they've made me feel like they wanted me to play for them and this program, which made the decision to come to Tyler that much easier. They have a phenomenal program and I am so thankful for the opportunity to play for such an amazing school. I am extremely excited to see what the future holds for Patriot softball."
 
 
Chelsea Smith (Sophomore; Pitcher)
Previous School: Hesston College (NJCAA)
Hometown: Tacoma, Wash.
 
Athletic Highlights:
Smith played two seasons at Hesston (Kan.) College, earning Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) Freshman of the Year honors along with All-KJCCC first team honors in 2019. She helped lead the Larks to the conference title in 2019, posting a 20-5 record with 5 saves, 2.06 ERA, and 235 strikeouts in 156.0 innings as a freshman. In 2020, she led the country in strikeouts through Hesston's shortened 20-game season, notching 141 strikeouts in 90.1 innings. Smith finished her career with Hesston's program records for career strikeouts (376), single-season strikeouts (235), single-season ERA (2.06), and single-season wins (20), and she earned NFCA All-South Region second team honors in 2019.
 
Smith: "I chose UT Tyler because the coaches are very invested into making each of their players better on the softball field, in the classroom, and overall in life. I feel as though they have something special that I could not possibly pass up the opportunity to be a part of."
 
 
Marissa Trezza (Senior; Utility)
Previous School: Georgian Court (NCAA Division II)
Hometown: Bethpage, N.Y.
 
Athletic Highlights:
Trezza played three seasons at Georgian Court, a Division II program located in Lakewood, N.J., where she earned D2CCA all-region first team, NFCA all-region second team, and All-CACC first team honors after a breakout 2019 junior season. She helped lead the Lions to an appearance in the 2019 NCAA Division II East Regional and finished the season with a .319 average (51-for-160) with 10 doubles, 13 home runs, and 48 RBIs.
 
Trezza: "UT Tyler is the perfect fit for me and the next chapter of my life. Between the incredible new business building, the rich history of the softball program, and the passion the coaching staff shows on a daily basis, it was an easy choice for me! I'm so excited to get to work with my new family!"
 

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